The invention which is the subject of this application relates to apparatus for use in forming metal into shapes or articles by rotation of an element of the apparatus. Particularly, but not exclusively, the apparatus is for use in forming metal bars which are joined together at their ends, into a twisted and enlarged shape which is referred to from hereonin as a basket shape and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
At present, there is apparatus available which can perform the required functions of twisting and applying a compression force to metal bars to form the same into a basket shaped article. However, this apparatus is usually relatively complex and relies upon the provision of a hydraulic system to enable the forces which are required to be applied to be provided. The requirement for the hydraulic systems to be provided render the apparatus which is conventionally available to be expensive and hence, in turn, the articles which are formed using this apparatus are expensive to purchase. When one considers the materials from which the articles are manufactured is relatively cheap, it is the expense of the apparatus which is currently available, which causes the price to be increased. Furthermore, the expense of purchase of the apparatus means that the size and volume of manufacturer of these articles are required to be on a relatively large scale and there is at present no facility or apparatus available which can be used to form articles such as baskets which can be economically used by manufacturers of formed metal articles.
An alternative type of apparatus exists which does not utilise hydraulics but requires each of the bars of a blank to be bent separately prior to being joined together, whereupon the blank is then twisted in one direction. However, this process is time consuming as each bar has to be bent to the same degree and then joined together to form the blank.
The aim of the present invention is to provide apparatus which allows articles such as baskets to be formed without the need for hydraulic system to be provided but in a form which allows a quality and ease of manufacture of these baskets to be maintained if not improved.